Canadian Astronaut Hails from Southwestern Ontario

Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s hometown is Ailsa Craig, not far from my hometown, St Marys, Ontario. He is about to make space history with his mission in the Artemis II launch, scheduled for as early as February 8. Read this interesting story by Jack Sutton published by CBC News. To read, you can click here.

Tom Kimber – News

 

 

Event Horizon Telescope Initiative

Image of the M87 core’s black hole

For a deeper dive into Black Holes and the science behind their existence, you can view the information here. This is provided by the Perimeter Institute located in Waterloo, Ontario

For a perspective on the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project, click here.

Tom Kimber – News

JEREMY HANSEN PREPARES FOR ARTIMIS II MOON MISSION

When the Artemis II moon mission launches in April, a Canadian astronaut will be ready for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. How does he feel about this?  Read this story by science journalist Amanda Buckiewicz, published in CBC News, to find out.

Click this link for a peek at the planned flight path trajectory.

Tom Kimber – News

A SUPERNOVA MAY BE COMING TO OUR SKIES

A double star known as V Sagittae in the constellation Sagitta has been identified as a candidate to trigger a  Type Ia supernova that could be as bright as the moon.

  • The system’s setup: V Sagittae is a binary system where a white dwarf is pulling mass from a larger companion star.
  • The process: This “cannibalistic” act of mass transfer creates an accretion disk and causes the white dwarf to heat up and grow in mass.
  • The impending explosion: The white dwarf is approaching the Chandrasekhar limit (of 1.4 solar masses), the point at which its internal pressure can no longer support its own weight against gravity. Once this limit is reached, it will trigger a Type Ia supernova.
  • The timeline: While the exact date is uncertain, a major event is expected to occur around the end of the 21st century, possibly around 2083. However, recent studies suggest it could happen sooner, with a potential nova outburst in the coming years.
  • The visibility: The supernova is expected to be extremely bright, potentially shining as brightly as the full moon and visible even in the daytime from Earth.
  • The significance: This event would provide a unique opportunity for astronomers to study the violent death of a binary star system directly. 

This constellation is situated between the constellations Cygnus and Aquila.

For a deeper explanation of what is happening, see this video from SPACE.com 

Tom Kimber – News